Leo 'didn't break character on Fighter set'

The actress, who plays the gruff mother of a professional boxer in director David O. Russell's movie, told The New York Times that she follows the tenets of method acting.

"It's method acting. It's not perverse. It's not weird," she said. "It's not sick or mental, but if the camera is going to roll on me, who knows when, in five minutes or in five hours, I'd like to be as close as I can to the character when the camera rolls."

Leo added that she was more concerned with delivering an authentic performance than developing personal relationships with The Fighter's cast and crew.

She noted: "I'm not there to make friends. I'm not there to look good. Maybe I'll come here and make friends and look good tonight, but when I'm working, [and] it's just serious."

Method acting was popularised in the United States in the 1930s by Lee Strasberg through his work with the acclaimed Group Theatre.

On Sunday, Leo received the 'Best Supporting Actress' Golden Globe for her performance in The Fighter.